by Kelly Knowlden
When you ask this question of your child, you can be pretty sure that they are thinking only about the actual ‘physical’ work that needs to be done—like answering questions, doing their workbooks, or writing an assigned composition. It is a rare child that includes into that equation studying. That means studying spelling words, vocabulary [yes, high school students have a vocabulary test weekly], or even notes for a specific subject, all are not considered “homework.”
So when the question above is asked, they can respond with clear conscience that “Yes, indeed! I am finished with my homework.” Of course they are flummoxed when they fail their next science test or don’t do well in their elements quiz because they didn’t study.... After all, it wasn’t “assigned.”
Obviously, we need to be on top of their schedule at least enough to ask if they studied the definitions and terms for math. We need to quiz them on their vocabulary definitions. We need to interact with them on their reading assignments, book reports and poetry memorization. All of this takes time, but then it will save a lot of time and headache over students who may be failing when they simply need to study.
So, when you ask the question above, be specific: “Did you study your terms for math class?” You will be helping them to be successful.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
Third Quarter
by Kelly Knowlden
Today is the half-way point of the third quarter. In listing the interim report grades for my records, I was reminded that the third quarter is a difficult one for students. They often feel both the drudgery of routine as well as the “oppression” of being inside all winter. Motivation is low - and that sometimes translates into grades. They often settle for a “bare minimum” approach to their work. Motivation needs to be “inner-driven” but to get kids there is often difficult at any time of year.
Here are some things to consider. The book of Proverbs talks about seeking understanding. Desire to know as much about everything as possible is a quality that comes from understanding that God made this world and all in it. We should be profoundly concerned ourselves with knowing all about God’s World. Our desire to know will model for our children the delight there is in finding out about plants, weather patterns, clouds, food additives, what fractals are, how snowflakes are made, where sodium erythorbate comes from [not earthworms!], and so on. Inspiration to know comes from reading. Make sure that they see you reading God’s Word and read it with them.
Another motivation that can be modeled is the way you approach learning. Don’t ever let your children hear you say, “I’m not a math person.” You are giving them ammunition to use against you when you ask them to study. When they bring math home, don’t throw up your hands in despair. Ask them questions. “Now why did you put that number there?” is a great question! You don’t need to know the answer. You are demonstrating your interest in that which is foreign to you as well as forcing them to give you some sort of logical explanation. My kids all knew that Dad did not know anything at all about math. But that never stopped us from having great times talking about the processes of which I knew nothing. It was actually fun - and funny!
My last note for today is for you to consider what the world of digital toys is doing to your kid’s brain. To be able to have the brain-adrenalin take place while sitting down [not moving about] and having the stimulus of rapid moving images play across the screen of the mind makes a textbook - or any book - extremely dull. I am not necessarily against such toys. I do think that great limitations need to be put on them.
Enjoy learning about the world together. It is what makes young people be motivated to know and understand.
Today is the half-way point of the third quarter. In listing the interim report grades for my records, I was reminded that the third quarter is a difficult one for students. They often feel both the drudgery of routine as well as the “oppression” of being inside all winter. Motivation is low - and that sometimes translates into grades. They often settle for a “bare minimum” approach to their work. Motivation needs to be “inner-driven” but to get kids there is often difficult at any time of year.
Here are some things to consider. The book of Proverbs talks about seeking understanding. Desire to know as much about everything as possible is a quality that comes from understanding that God made this world and all in it. We should be profoundly concerned ourselves with knowing all about God’s World. Our desire to know will model for our children the delight there is in finding out about plants, weather patterns, clouds, food additives, what fractals are, how snowflakes are made, where sodium erythorbate comes from [not earthworms!], and so on. Inspiration to know comes from reading. Make sure that they see you reading God’s Word and read it with them.
Another motivation that can be modeled is the way you approach learning. Don’t ever let your children hear you say, “I’m not a math person.” You are giving them ammunition to use against you when you ask them to study. When they bring math home, don’t throw up your hands in despair. Ask them questions. “Now why did you put that number there?” is a great question! You don’t need to know the answer. You are demonstrating your interest in that which is foreign to you as well as forcing them to give you some sort of logical explanation. My kids all knew that Dad did not know anything at all about math. But that never stopped us from having great times talking about the processes of which I knew nothing. It was actually fun - and funny!
My last note for today is for you to consider what the world of digital toys is doing to your kid’s brain. To be able to have the brain-adrenalin take place while sitting down [not moving about] and having the stimulus of rapid moving images play across the screen of the mind makes a textbook - or any book - extremely dull. I am not necessarily against such toys. I do think that great limitations need to be put on them.
Enjoy learning about the world together. It is what makes young people be motivated to know and understand.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Communication
Jokes abound about communication faux-pas that make fun of those who do not hear well, or between men and women, or even in the miscommunication of meanings of words. Some of these are quite hilarious. For example: Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were taking a walk one fine March day. One remarked to the other, “Windy, ain't it?"
“No,"the second man replied, "It's Thursday."
And the third man chimed in, “So am I. Let's have a coke."
However, it is not so funny when you rely on communication for something to happen. For example, you show up when an appointment is cancelled because you did not get the call.
With all of our modern technologies to communicate— text, email, twitter, phone—you’d think that we would be better at getting information from the source more easily. However, being an institution that tries very hard to keep people ‘in the loop’ we at the school have come to recognize that there are simply too many ways for us to keep up with getting information to people. Even this email will be read by probably less than 50% of our constituents.
As a result, we miss getting important information to people. Not because it is intended, but because we have not the time nor in some cases the ability to communicate with each person’s preferred method of receiving information.
So, all that to say, please help us. We will continue to communicate in the ways that we are able. We will send this note weekly by EMAIL. Teachers will CALL you when they need to talk to you specifically about your child. Teachers will also WRITE to you on homework slips and in assignments books as needed. We will also send information home on PAPER with your child in the form of classroom calendars, permission slips, and opportunities to participate in various clubs and special days.
What that means for you is to keep asking your children if they received any notes from the office, checking their book bags and your email, and listening to your phone messages in a timely way. We want to serve you in the best way possible by communicating to you.
“No,"the second man replied, "It's Thursday."
And the third man chimed in, “So am I. Let's have a coke."
However, it is not so funny when you rely on communication for something to happen. For example, you show up when an appointment is cancelled because you did not get the call.
With all of our modern technologies to communicate— text, email, twitter, phone—you’d think that we would be better at getting information from the source more easily. However, being an institution that tries very hard to keep people ‘in the loop’ we at the school have come to recognize that there are simply too many ways for us to keep up with getting information to people. Even this email will be read by probably less than 50% of our constituents.
As a result, we miss getting important information to people. Not because it is intended, but because we have not the time nor in some cases the ability to communicate with each person’s preferred method of receiving information.
So, all that to say, please help us. We will continue to communicate in the ways that we are able. We will send this note weekly by EMAIL. Teachers will CALL you when they need to talk to you specifically about your child. Teachers will also WRITE to you on homework slips and in assignments books as needed. We will also send information home on PAPER with your child in the form of classroom calendars, permission slips, and opportunities to participate in various clubs and special days.
What that means for you is to keep asking your children if they received any notes from the office, checking their book bags and your email, and listening to your phone messages in a timely way. We want to serve you in the best way possible by communicating to you.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
I Think Today is Tuesday and This is Book Month!
“Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.”
In our celebration of book month, aren’t we a bit out of touch with the future of learning information? After all, what is the value of reading for pleasure in an age which has visual recreational delights designed to charge and stimulate adrenalin? Even books are now on digital devices.
May I suggest that the power of words, well chosen and creatively hung together, create a feast for the imagination which stimulates all sorts of brain cells left dormant by the viewing of rapidly flitting images across a screen. They hold forth values of excellence and nobility in plots that capture the mind and enlarge the heart. These well-written stories inspire children with hope. They teach children to pay attention to detail. Well written stories make them think about meanings that are deeper than appear in the plot. They help make the world make sense by portraying characters who struggle with evil and make choices based on the ultimate triumph of good. Stories like these also teach us how to express what we feel in words. They encourage an expanded vocabulary. They encourage thinking.
In short, the power of language coupled with the force of adventure found in excellent literature, provides an experience that once cultivated, rivals anything the video screen could produce!
May I encourage you to read to your children while they are little and don’t stop because they get old. Those family moments of shared experiences become part of the family story that you will create. Rightly, you will build in them the delight in “beautiful words which remind us of realities that we cannot see.”
In our celebration of book month, aren’t we a bit out of touch with the future of learning information? After all, what is the value of reading for pleasure in an age which has visual recreational delights designed to charge and stimulate adrenalin? Even books are now on digital devices.
May I suggest that the power of words, well chosen and creatively hung together, create a feast for the imagination which stimulates all sorts of brain cells left dormant by the viewing of rapidly flitting images across a screen. They hold forth values of excellence and nobility in plots that capture the mind and enlarge the heart. These well-written stories inspire children with hope. They teach children to pay attention to detail. Well written stories make them think about meanings that are deeper than appear in the plot. They help make the world make sense by portraying characters who struggle with evil and make choices based on the ultimate triumph of good. Stories like these also teach us how to express what we feel in words. They encourage an expanded vocabulary. They encourage thinking.
In short, the power of language coupled with the force of adventure found in excellent literature, provides an experience that once cultivated, rivals anything the video screen could produce!
May I encourage you to read to your children while they are little and don’t stop because they get old. Those family moments of shared experiences become part of the family story that you will create. Rightly, you will build in them the delight in “beautiful words which remind us of realities that we cannot see.”
Monday, January 27, 2014
The King is Coming
Picture this: A man dressed in uniform with sword strapped to his side, regal in his bearing, strides to the front of a crowd. On his head, a circlet of gold. Splendor and majesty mark his bearing. His face is set with determination that is fearful to behold. He casts out evildoers from his presence with his glance. He smiles with twinkling eyes at those who love him. He is adored by thousands. And his enemies do not have a chance against the arrows of his indignation and they know it. He is the King. For us, it is King Jesus!
Now read this: “What we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him...” While this passage is not primarily about physical resemblances, it does imply likeness of character. And, if we love King Jesus (live for Him) that will be you and me!
My purpose in writing this is the same as the apostle John. In the midst of trials here below— the winter cold, the loss of dreams, the sadness of severe circumstances— the encouragement of a coming King who will set all things to right buoys our hearts. Gone will be our sin of boredom, our impatience at sameness, our lust for ex- citement. Gone too, will be tears, hurts, fears and needs. What a day!
Encourage your children too, with that bibli- cal hope!
Now read this: “What we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him...” While this passage is not primarily about physical resemblances, it does imply likeness of character. And, if we love King Jesus (live for Him) that will be you and me!
My purpose in writing this is the same as the apostle John. In the midst of trials here below— the winter cold, the loss of dreams, the sadness of severe circumstances— the encouragement of a coming King who will set all things to right buoys our hearts. Gone will be our sin of boredom, our impatience at sameness, our lust for ex- citement. Gone too, will be tears, hurts, fears and needs. What a day!
Encourage your children too, with that bibli- cal hope!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Why Do We Exist?
May I remind you why Christian education is the best choice?
Because man’s chief purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, Immanuel Christian School believes that education exists for the task of revealing God’s character through the Scriptures and in every facet of His creation.
As a result, students will have their hearts instruct- ed and their minds expanded as they study history, literature, mathematics, science, and all other academic disciplines with that purpose in mind. As students study, they will gain insight into how God has worked in the world in the past, and therefore, how He is working today - even when it looks as though no one is in control. They will learn His principles of ordering the world. Not only will they understand how gravity works, but what makes it important to our everyday lives. They will understand the ways word order matters in English versus other languages where the case endings in nouns, verbs and adjectives indicate meaning. They will learn the tools of writing clear sentences, expressing thoughts in concise ways. Ultimately, our desire for them is to marvel at what wondrous ways God has made the world to work!
Christian education is expensive in terms of money. Lack of a Christian education is more expensive in terms of having children not understand these truths.
Because man’s chief purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, Immanuel Christian School believes that education exists for the task of revealing God’s character through the Scriptures and in every facet of His creation.
As a result, students will have their hearts instruct- ed and their minds expanded as they study history, literature, mathematics, science, and all other academic disciplines with that purpose in mind. As students study, they will gain insight into how God has worked in the world in the past, and therefore, how He is working today - even when it looks as though no one is in control. They will learn His principles of ordering the world. Not only will they understand how gravity works, but what makes it important to our everyday lives. They will understand the ways word order matters in English versus other languages where the case endings in nouns, verbs and adjectives indicate meaning. They will learn the tools of writing clear sentences, expressing thoughts in concise ways. Ultimately, our desire for them is to marvel at what wondrous ways God has made the world to work!
Christian education is expensive in terms of money. Lack of a Christian education is more expensive in terms of having children not understand these truths.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Talking AT or Talking TO
When you have a conversation with someone, what makes you feel like you've been heard? Is it because they look at you? Is it because they ask questions that clarify what you were saying? Is it because they want to under- stand what you are saying?
You may not have the experience of having some-one making you feel like you’ve been heard very often, so can you identify what it is in conversation that makes you feel like you are NOT heard? I think that it goes like this. The other person is just waiting to jump into the conversation with their part of the story or their experience. Or they tell you where you are wrong in your assessment of things. Or perhaps they take the conversation in a different direction by chasing a “rabbit.”
Now put yourself in your child’s shoes. Your child comes home from school and needs to do their homework. They stare at their paper. They need a drink. They have to sharpen their pencil...again. You want to have a conversation with them about the amount of work that is not getting done. So you tell them to get to work. They respond with, “I’m thinking.” [Here is where you need to make them feel like you are hearing them.] The temptation is to respond with, “Stop thinking and get working!” or something like that.
The goal is to get them to work and yet make sure they know that you understand them.
So you look at them and ask a question. “Is it thinking about your work or something else?” Any question will do that is designed to get them back on track. Being frustrated will not help. By asking a question, you will convey, “I am not sitting in judgment against you. I want to understand you.”
I must confess that even after years and years of practice, the tendency toward being frustrated is still there. I need to pray quickly, often and consistently for help and reminder that I too, get distracted from what needs to be done. Remembering Christ’s grace, helps me to speak with patience.
You may not have the experience of having some-one making you feel like you’ve been heard very often, so can you identify what it is in conversation that makes you feel like you are NOT heard? I think that it goes like this. The other person is just waiting to jump into the conversation with their part of the story or their experience. Or they tell you where you are wrong in your assessment of things. Or perhaps they take the conversation in a different direction by chasing a “rabbit.”
Now put yourself in your child’s shoes. Your child comes home from school and needs to do their homework. They stare at their paper. They need a drink. They have to sharpen their pencil...again. You want to have a conversation with them about the amount of work that is not getting done. So you tell them to get to work. They respond with, “I’m thinking.” [Here is where you need to make them feel like you are hearing them.] The temptation is to respond with, “Stop thinking and get working!” or something like that.
The goal is to get them to work and yet make sure they know that you understand them.
So you look at them and ask a question. “Is it thinking about your work or something else?” Any question will do that is designed to get them back on track. Being frustrated will not help. By asking a question, you will convey, “I am not sitting in judgment against you. I want to understand you.”
I must confess that even after years and years of practice, the tendency toward being frustrated is still there. I need to pray quickly, often and consistently for help and reminder that I too, get distracted from what needs to be done. Remembering Christ’s grace, helps me to speak with patience.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
New Year
When you replace a calendar with a new one, you look at the new picture. You look at the days ahead and for most people, begin looking at the schedule of things that need to be accomplished. But one thing that must be present in the heart as you look at this new month, new year ahead is a sense of hope.
Not only is there a desire for “I hope it is better than last year...” but also beyond that must be a sense that there is something transcendent—beyond the immediacy of doctor’s appointments, getting the oil changed, and planning a party. We have a desperate need for something that is big- ger than all of the mundane and temporal events and that provides meaning to everything that we do.
So where do we look? Generally we look for diversions from routine to provide meaning. Or we hope in relationships to give a sense of significance. Or we invest in our jobs, our kids or our volunteer work to give us that sense of transcendence.
What we need to do is be like the magi from the East. We need to look up. Their GPS to the manger was a star. “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel....” They were looking at the star that was the announcement of transcendence. Some- thing surpassing normal was happening and they were going to get to view it. This star was the announcement of the King of kings, the long awaited Messiah.
And that is how transcendence will come to us. Meaning will be made of the mundane as we look to the King of Kings and get caught up with what He is doing. And as mysterious as that may be and humbling as it must be, we will no longer rule our days but be able to submit to His direction for us and interpretation of our existence.
I need that Hope that is stated in I John 3:2: But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Not only is there a desire for “I hope it is better than last year...” but also beyond that must be a sense that there is something transcendent—beyond the immediacy of doctor’s appointments, getting the oil changed, and planning a party. We have a desperate need for something that is big- ger than all of the mundane and temporal events and that provides meaning to everything that we do.
So where do we look? Generally we look for diversions from routine to provide meaning. Or we hope in relationships to give a sense of significance. Or we invest in our jobs, our kids or our volunteer work to give us that sense of transcendence.
What we need to do is be like the magi from the East. We need to look up. Their GPS to the manger was a star. “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel....” They were looking at the star that was the announcement of transcendence. Some- thing surpassing normal was happening and they were going to get to view it. This star was the announcement of the King of kings, the long awaited Messiah.
And that is how transcendence will come to us. Meaning will be made of the mundane as we look to the King of Kings and get caught up with what He is doing. And as mysterious as that may be and humbling as it must be, we will no longer rule our days but be able to submit to His direction for us and interpretation of our existence.
I need that Hope that is stated in I John 3:2: But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
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